Categories: Angst/Daddybats/Friendship

***

"Ah-choo!" sneezed Robin for the 100th time.

He'd been at it all morning. Ever since he'd arrived at Wally's house to help with his spring cleaning.

Artemis had offered to help too, and was in the process of pulling a science experiment from under Wally's bed.

"What's this?" She held up the mouldy potato, connected to wires, a battery and some other random things.

He smirked and left Robin's side at his drawers and jumped on his bed. "That is first place in this year's science fair..."

Robin zoned out. He'd already been told about how amazing it would be. Instead, he grabbed the tissue box that was on top of the drawers and blew his nose. He then tossed it into the trash, where it joined several others.

It wasn't just his nose. His eyes and head were playing up too. It all had seemed to have started when he walked into Wally's room. He assumed it was all the dust.

The room went quiet.

Robin looked up. Wally had turned the TV off, and was staring blankly at the black screen.

Artemis was just as confused as he was. Wally had been telling her about his 4th grade science project. But he got distracted by the news, them turned it off.

"Are you okay, Wally?" Robin finally asked.

He nodded, not looking away. "Yeah, I'm good... It was just annoying, that's all."

"Uh-hu." Artemis looked back at the younger teenager skeptically. "Well this place isn't going to clean itself."

She went back to pulling things from under the bed.

But Robin wasn't so easily fooled. He put down his phone, just as it vibrated, and walked over to his best friend.

"Why did you turn it off?" he asked.

His skin was pale. His eyes were empty.

"I already told you," Wally shook his expression off and replaced it with a happy one.

"Hey, Rob," Artemis looked over at the vibrating phone. "I think someone's trying to get a hold of you. It hasn't stopped buzzing."

Wally looked over. Robin took the opportunity to snatch the remote from him and turn on the TV.

"No, Rob!" he tried fight back for it.

But he'd already read the headline, 'ZUCCO ESCAPES'.

Defeated, Wally sat back and watched his best friend's shoulders slump.

"Who's Tony Zucco?" Artemis asked, making Wally jump a little. He forgot she was there.

"He murdered my mom and dad," he gave her the first bit of background information she'd had off him.

She pushed herself up and sat on the bed next to him. "Holy Crap... Are, are you okay!?"

He sniffed up and his eyes began to water. "Traught."

He tried to smile at his friends before getting up, then he grabbed his phone and made an excuse to leave.

"The dust in here is giving me an allergic reaction. I, um, better go."

Wally stood up. "Where are you going?"

Robin tightened his grip around his phone. "Batman's been trying to call me."

"Okay," he prayed he was going straight home. "Don't do anything stupid."

He bit his lip. "I won't."

***

Dick took his shades off the minute he got outside. The tears he'd been holding back spilled out. The anger - the furstration, came out through his fists.

His phone started vibrating again. This time he picked up, with his shaky, bloody hand.

"Where are you?" Bruce demanded down the phone more than asked.

Dick opened his mouth to tell him. He changed his mind, and hung up the phone instead.

He marched down the street. He didn't know Central City that well. Wally had shown him around once. And he'd done the odd mission there. So he trusted his legs and just kept walking.

Memories of that day played on his mind. He saw his parents fall. Over and over again. It was like someone had found a video of that night. But it was from Dick's point of view, and they kept pressing that replay button.

He passed a shop window with TV screens displayed in them. On every one of them was either an image of
Zucco or a reporter.

Revenge was all he could think about. He fantasied about capturing him, alone. If Bruce came along he wouldn't be allowed to do what he desired. That was why Bruce would be making the recapture a discrete solo mission. Dick wouldn't find out until the news of Batman capturing the escaped criminal ended up on TV.

He wiped his runny nose on his sleeve, and moved on, sick of the sight of Zucco's face. His phone rang again. But he ignored it.

Shortly after a shiny black car caught the corner of his eye. It began to slow down beside him until it hit walking speed. Right on time.

The window slid down as slowly as the speed it was going.

"I'll sort it." Dick said.
"Not this one. We agreed." Bruce reminded him.

"No, you told me. I'm not getting in. Alfie needs to put his foot down." Dick pointed to the line of held up traffic behind them.

People were beginning to stop and stare at the beeping cars and arguing duo.

"Richard!" Bruce hissed, fearing his public image may get destroyed in the media. "You're making a scene."

Dick looks around at all the faces. Scowling, he made his way round to the other door, slamming it as he sat down.

The car sped up, taking the next left.

"I'm going to kill him. I'm ready." Dick assured him.

"This is exactly why I'm handling this situation! I don't want my 15 year old son to become a murderer! That isn't who we are."

"But you've killed before! Stop acting like you're so innocent!"

Bruce shook his head and glared at his son. "You'll thank me for this some day."

"Doubt it."

The radio was getting slightly louder and louder. The two looked to the black screen that separated Alfred and themselves.

"The criminal Tony Zucco is being arrested and sent back to prison as speak. Gotham police apprehended Zucco as someone recognised the criminal on the streets. Ashley will report the..."

The reporters voice trailed into background noise.

Dick looked at Bruce, and said nothing. Bruce looked back, and said nothing.

The last time this had happened Dick was still only young. Bruce could distract him and keep him away from the news. But this time, it wouldn't have been so easy.

He knew better than anyone that Dick could find Zucco just as fast as he could. And whether he would kill him? That was up to Dick.

"He'll get out again." Dick stared blankly at the passing houses. "And when he does, he's mine."

"You're not a killer, Richard." Bruce kept optimistic.

"You can't stop me this time. I'll get to him before the police." He balled his fist in anger.

Bruce sighed, knowing what he was saying was right. Next time, there was no stopping him

The car slowed down at the traffic lights that were coming up.

"... Zucco has in fact got away. He was last seen wearing a long black coat, running down,"

Bruce moved to grab him. But the door was already opened, and the young hero had already jumped out.

***

A/N: This was originally going to be one part. But I want to write about what Dick would actually do to Zucco. So part 2 will be up shortly:)